Run With Me
by Candra
Summary: Brad dreams
1. Default Chapter

Okay...so this is an odd fic, I admit. I was playing with ideas late one night at work, and then this one popped into my head. I'm not sure if animals are rare on Zi, but since I can't remember having seen one in the show, I'll just say they are for the purposes of this fic. Anyhow, it's a weird one, so keep that in mind. Later parts will explain more, I promise. 

Disclaimer: I don't own _ Zoids_ or any other _ Zoids_ characters, much to my sorrow. ^^;;

Anyhow, feedback is greatly appreciated!

//_Italics_// is mind speech...(>_)

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**Run With Me - Part 1**

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The first thing he realized when he came to was that he didn't hurt anymore. His head was blessedly free of the throbbing ache behind his eyes, and he could breathe without hearing that horrible rasping gurgle that meant a punctured lung...or worse. Cracking open an eye, Brad blinked in surprise when he realized he wasn't in the Shadow Fox's cockpit.   
  
He was braced against the trunk of a lone tree, surrounded by endless miles of flat plain covered in tall grass that would have reached his knees when he stood. The sky was dark, save for the light coming from the moons that hung low in the sky. There were no signs of his Fox or anything or anyone else he knew.  
  
Moving to sit up, Brad froze as the heat pressed against his side and the feel of silk-soft fur on his exposed skin. Looking to the side, Brad felt a spike of fear, and wonder at the sight that met his eyes.  
  
Animals were rare on Zi, a precious commodity that the black marketers profited handsomely from. Only the truly wealthy had the luxury of a pet such as a cat or dog, but the more exotic animals were unheard of. Perhaps that was the real reason zoids were modeled after animals, so that the people of Zi would never forget them.   
  
Lifting its head the tiger, with beautiful snow-white fur graced with a spill of elegant ink black markings, turned bright green eyes on him.   
  
His breath clogged in his throat, fear gripping his chest. The big cat shifted almost lazily, green eyes glinting with what he would have called amusement, if the tiger had been human. He was startled at the almost human intelligence he could see in those painfully familiar eyes, and he knew that he should have been able to recognize those eyes. They called to him.   
  
Closing his eyes, Brad turned his focus inwards, trying to remember what had happened and how he'd gotten to wherever it was he was. Frowning as bits and pieces of memory flashed before him, flitting out of his grasp before he could catch more than a glimpse, Brad felt an alien presence in his mind.  
  
//_Run with me._//  
  
Brad started as the words faded from his mind, eyes snapping open.   
  
The tiger watched him silently, the tip of its tail gently brushing Brad's leg.  
  
//_Run with me Brad. Run with me._//  
  
"Wha...what?"  
  
He had to be crazy, to think that the _tiger_ was talking to him. Everyone knew that animals couldn't talk. Even telepathically, or whatever that had been. Maybe he'd hit his head harder than he'd thought or something.  
  
"I was in a zoid battle..." Brad said, as thought hearing his own voice would drive the phantom voice from his thoughts.  
  
The tiger cocked its head to the side, green eyes questioning.  
  
His attention drawn to the motion, Brad stared at the tiger. He knew instinctively that it wasn't acting the way a normal tiger should. It seemed almost...protective of him. Something that was driven home when he realized that it had been curled around him, using its body heat to keep him warm.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
The tiger yawned, revealing gleaming white fangs, although Brad couldn't find it within himself to be alarmed by such a sight. Somehow, he felt safe with the tiger. As though it wouldn't' let any harm befall him. It was an unnerving feeling...Brad Hunter didn't need anyone or anything to make himself feel safe and secure...he had himself and that was all he needed.  
  
The tiger growled low in warning, green eyes narrowed. The tip of its tail twitched almost angrily.  
  
//_Is that so?_//  
  
The mental voice slithered through his thoughts, tangling with them until he was no longer certain if he'd thought the words himself, or if they'd come from some other source.   
  
//_Then why are you still here? Why haven't you left, if you don't need anyone? Why are you still with the Blitz team?_//  
  
Brad stared at the tiger, at a loss for words. There was no denying that the tiger was the one speaking to him. Just as there was no denying the fact he had no answer for that question. If that was truly how he felt, why had he stayed where he was for so long? Why _had_ he stayed with the Blitz team for as long as he had?   
  
"What are you?"   
  
The tiger drew back, ears flattening against its skull in annoyance.  
  
//_I am what you make of me, Brad. Don't you know that yet?_//  
  
Feeling frustrated and annoyed himself; Brad ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the ends lightly. _Why_ couldn't he remember what had happened? He remembered being in a zoid battle, and in his mind's eye he could just make out the form of a larger presence beside his Fox. He couldn't see who it was, but his mind told him that it was a familiar and welcome one that set him at ease.  
  
"Why can't I remember?"  
  
If things had been normal, Brad would have found it utterly ridiculous to be talking to a tiger as though it could understand him. As it was, things were far from normal, a fact proven by the tiger leaning against him showing a level of human intelligence in its green eyes.  
  
_Well...that and the whole telepathy thing._ Brad mused sourly to himself.  
  
The tiger got to its feet and walked a few steps away, pausing to look back at Brad.  
  
//_Run with me, Brad. Run with me._//  
  
The words called to him, like the tiger's eyes had. The mental voice that slid into his mind was a low, seductive purr, beckoning to him to shed his human body and rejoice in the untamed wildness that lay at his core. The part of him that longed to take his Fox and run until he came to the end of the world.  
  
"How?"  
  
The tiger's eyes seemed to bore into him, and Brad pulled back as he felt mental fingers grasping at his thoughts, at the part of Brad's mind that _was_ him. A wave of reassurance washed through him, and he let go of his fear, reaching towards that maddeningly familiar voice.  
  
//_Like this_.//  
  
There was a sensation that was like being pulled and pushed at the same time, like being squeezed and stretched all at once. For a brief, horrifying moment that seemed to last for an eternity, there was nothing.   
  
No light, no darkness, no sight, no sound. Nothing. Absolute nothing.  
  
It terrified Brad to the core of his very being. It touched that part of him that feared fire and worshiped the sun. That part of him driven solely by primitive instinct that feared the dark and worshipped nameless gods.  
  
//_Here. Follow me, Brad._//  
  
The tiger's voice broke through the barrier that led to the void, shattering the silence and bringing light and sound with it.   
  
Fumbling, frantic, Brad reached for that voice, fear and desperation making him clumsy.   
  
//_Where...?_//  
  
//_Here._//  
  
And he felt the fire of the white tiger envelope him, driving away his fear. Driving away the darkness. Forcing the void back.  
  
//_Open your eyes._//  
  
Brad did.  
  
The tiger was watching him, green eyes narrowed in a way that nudged at the back of Brad's mind, telling him that he should know that look. But he didn't.  
  
//_What...what was that?_//  
  
//_The void. Nothingness. Death_.//  
  
Brad took a step back, and froze as his eyes landed on his body resting a few feet away as though in sleep.  
  
The tiger snorted, green eyes gleaming with amusement.  
  
//_You're not dead._//  
  
Tearing his gaze from his body, Brad stared at the tiger incredulously.  
  
//_But you said..._//  
  
Padding over to him, the tiger leaned in to brush its cheek against Brad's face reassuringly.  
  
//_You passed through it, Brad._//  
  
Brad relaxed as the tiger's words registered in his mind.  
  
//_And if I hadn't?_//  
  
The tiger looked away, unable to meet his gaze.  
  
//_You know the answer to that._//  
  
Brad did. And the knowledge was like a physical blow.  
  
//_Run with me, Brad. Run with me._//  
  
Looking back at the tiger, Brad felt that seductive pull again, and this time he didn't fight it.  
  
//_How?_//  
  
The tiger's eyes seemed to laugh at him, the tip of its tail twitching in amusement.  
  
//_Look at yourself._//  
  
Brad did, eyes widening in something like shock as he finally noticed his new form. It was small and compact, slender legs and narrow fox-like muzzle. Dark red-gold fur that faded to a light tan on his underbelly, a bushy fox-like tail.   
  
//_What...what am I?_//  
  
//_Here, you do not appear as you would in the waking world. Here you manifest in your spiritual form._//  
  
Brad growled low in his throat at the tiger's less than helpful answer.  
  
//_What does _that_ mean?_//  
  
//_You thought that perhaps you would be a wolf, or even a fox?_//  
  
Brad nodded. The possibility had occurred to him. He had been called one or the other a great deal of the time in the past.  
  
//_You are both and neither at the same time. The wolf is a majestic animal that guards all that he considers his with a savage fierceness and undying loyalty. The fox is a born trickster, quick-witted and sly. You carry those traits...and more._//  
  
Giving himself a shake, Brad glanced down at himself.  
  
//_What am I, then? If I'm not a wolf and not a fox, what am I?_//  
  
The tiger seemed to smile at him.  
  
//_Jackal._//  
  
  
  
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TBC...?  
  
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Please, please, _please_ let me know what you think of this fic!   
  
  



	2. Part 2 - Wherein more confusing things h...

Ehhhh...here's part two of the weird fic. Things just seem to get weirder and weirder, I guess. Although I _do_ try to explain some of it in this part, but other things are more confusing...>_ (at least you'll have more explanations to go with the confusing bits in later parts...or something like that...>_)  
  
And many, many, _many_ thanks to the people who took the time and effort to comment on the first part of this fic or email me about it...it makes writing it that much more gratifying, knowing that other people like it. ^_^  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own _ Zoids_ or any other _ Zoids_ characters, much to my sorrow. ^^;;  
  
Anyhow, feedback is greatly appreciated!  
  
//_Italics_// is mind speech...(>_)

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**Run With Me - Part 2**

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//_A jackal?_//  
  
Brad took a step back as the tiger approached him, something distinctly predatory in its eyes as it began walking around him in a slow circle.  
  
//_Jackals are misunderstood creatures, Brad. They are feared, hated, and revered all at the same time. They are loyal to their family and mate for life. They protect what is theirs, to the death if need be. They are sly and cunning as any fox, and are accomplished hunters. There was once a God of the Underworld, Anubis, who took the form of a jackal-headed man when he weighed the hearts of the dead. That is you, Brad. You are a jackal. Loyal, noble and cunning. Not quite wolf, not quite fox, but a blend of both._//  
  
One thing stuck in Brad's mind, and he was startled to discover it was something that struck him to the core of his being. It was something he had never been consciously aware of.  
  
//_Misunderstood creatures?_//  
  
The tiger paused, watching him with those too-human eyes.  
  
//_They were thought to be vermin by some people. Worthless scavengers. A blemish upon the perfection of the world._//  
  
A whimper escaped Brad's throat, his ears pressed against his skull as the tiger's words slammed home with ruthless efficiency.   
  
//_Worthless..._//  
  
He knew that word. Had been called that too many times to count in the past. He knew what it was to be considered worthless. Knew what it was to given so little consideration because of who and what he was.   
  
Mercenary.   
  
He' been used like a weapon in the past. Treated as though he were expendable. As though his zoid had held more value than his life. He'd let others use him as long as he served their purposes, only to be discarded once he became a hindrance to them. He'd let it happen, because he'd had no other choice. No other path had lain before him.   
  
For him there had been no path paved of gold. No pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. No fair princess whose hand he could take in marriage.   
  
There were those who didn't understand what it meant to be a mercenary. That didn't understand the reasons behind his decision to become one. He knew that. But knowing a thing and understanding a thing is something completely different. He'd chosen a path, and if others couldn't understand it, that was their problem. Or so he'd told himself, to the point where he almost believed it himself.   
  
Almost.  
  
There was still a part of him that hated to see the loathing in other people's eyes when they realized what he was. A part of him that cried out as they turned their backs on him because he fought for the money, not the thrill of the battle. The part of him that died a little more each time a cold gaze was turned on him. When harsh words were spoken to him.  
  
The tiger moved, pressing up against Brad, holding him up with one broad shoulder. Nuzzling Brad's face, the tiger offered silent comfort.  
  
//_They, like you, are misunderstood, Brad. Few have taken the time to look behind appearances to see what lies beyond. Few enough care to see the things that make you who you are. Few enough care to understand you. But those that do...they are the ones who a jackal would die to protect._//  
  
//_Why?_//  
  
Sensing that Brad would be able to support himself, the tiger moved away.  
  
//_Why am I so misunderstood? Is it wrong to want money to put clothes on my back and food in my stomach? Is it wrong to want money so that I don't have to feel hunger or cold ever again? Why is that so wrong?_//  
  
Brad's eyes closed in pain as he remembered the long nights he'd gone without food. Huddling in the cockpit of his zoid, the only shelter he'd had. He remembered the disgust he'd felt from other zoid warriors, the ones who looked down on his kind. The ones who battled because they had the luxury to do so out of lack for anything else to do to pass the time. The ones that hissed the word 'mercenary' as though it was something dirty. Something to be despised. Hated.  
  
//_It's not wrong, Brad. It's what everyone wants._//  
  
Brad whirled, baring his teeth in an angry snarl, his eyes snapping with blazing fury.  
  
//_Then why don't they understand?_//  
  
//_They don't understand because they _can't_. They haven't been where you are, Brad. They've never had to fight over the last scrap of food. Never had to struggle to find a warm place to sleep for the night. They just don't understand what living like that is like._//  
  
Hearing the tiger's mental voice filled with such sorrow, Brad felt something in the back of his mind click as his anger faded. He _knew_ that voice. Knew those eyes. But he didn't know _ how_ he knew.  
  
//_I know you, don't I?_//   
  
The tiger made a soft sound in its throat, green eyes speculative.  
  
//_You do. Can you name me?_//  
  
Brad frowned, felt his lips peel back from sharp fangs as he did.  
  
//_Name you?_//  
  
The tiger took a step forward, green eyes boring into his.  
  
//_Name me, and I'm yours. Body, mind, and soul._//  
  
The words sent a shiver through Brad. They held both promise and longing, as thought the tiger wanted something of him, but was loathe to ask.  
  
Brad felt lost. He could feel the tiger's yearning like a physical thing. He could see it in those green, green eyes, but he didn't know what to do. Didn't know what to say.  
  
//_How can I name you? Don't you already have a name?_//  
  
The tiger looked at him a moment longer, then turned to go, brushing against Brad as it did, forcing him back a step.  
  
//_You'll understand in time. But for now...run with me. Run with me, Brad. Run with me._//  
  
Brad felt panic as the tiger bounded away, muscles rippling beneath the sleek coat. He didn't want to be left alone in this strange place. Didn't want to be left alone, bereft of the blazing warmth and familiar sense of safety the tiger radiated.  
  
Without a second thought, Brad gave chase, the steady rhythm of his feet pounding the earth matching that of the tiger. He reveled in the wind rushing through his fur, the tall grass that brushed against his belly, the scent of sun-baked earth that called to him.  
  
He lost himself, giving over to that primal side of him as he ran, leaping over fallen logs and half-buried boulders as he raced to catch up to the tiger.   
  
//_Run with me, Brad. Run with me._//  
  
He could hear the tiger's voice in his mind like a soothing caress, urging him on to greater speeds. Teasing him. Taunting him like an older brother would a sibling learning how to ride a bicycle or throw their first pitch. Driving him forwards with no thought except to succeed out of sheer perseverance or stubborn persistence.   
  
//_Run with me, Brad. Run with me._//  
  
They ran through flat plains that gave way to thick forest and rocky mountain paths. They ran through darkened caves so ancient Brad could feel the weight of millennia pressing down on him. They ran through streams of icy mountain snowmelt, through puddles left by rain. They ran over massive sand dunes, through cactus-filled desert. And still they ran.  
  
//_Run with me, Brad. Run with me._//  
  
They ran until the sun set and the moons rose. They ran until stars fell from the heavens, leaving a weeping trail of fleeting brilliance in their wake. They ran until they could run no longer, footsore and weary. Their souls filled to bursting with what they had seen, what they had felt. What they had _known_.  
  
Fur caked with mud, exhaustion written in their every line, they came to rest at the side of a lake so clear and still that it seemed made of the finest of glass. Sweet birdsong filled the air, accompanied by an occasional rustle of wings as the night birds flitted from branch to branch in the forest surrounding them.  
  
Watching the tiger with wary respect, Brad glanced back the way they had come. Amazed at the distance they had covered that night. Amazed that they had been the only living things there, until he'd heard the birds at the lakeside. Amazed that they had not stumbled over some forgotten human dwelling.   
  
//_Where are we?_//  
  
It was a question he knew he should have asked earlier, when he had first awakened. A question that would have given hi some clue as to where he should go next. What he should do.  
  
The tiger turned to him, green eyes seeming to smirk at him as though it knew his thoughts.  
  
//_Don't you know, Brad? The Dreamscape._//  
  
//_Dreamscape?_//  
  
The word felt alien in his mind, unwelcome. It conjured up thoughts that left Brad shaking. Memories he'd thought best forgotten.   
  
Seeing this, the tiger shook itself and headed for the lakeshore, its steps measured and even.  
  
//_A place where your mind goes to Dream. Sometimes to hide._//  
  
Brad watched as the tiger waded out into the lake, leaving not so much as even a ripple in its wake. Casting a glance over its shoulder, the tiger flicked its tail gently, sending a sheet of water at Brad, a playful glint in its eyes.  
  
Growling deep in his chest as he shied away from the spray of water, Brad paced along the water's edge, ears pressed back against his head. The tiger watched silently as his movements grew increasingly agitated.  
  
//_Dream? Why would I dream?_//  
  
//I_ never said you were here to Dream, Brad._// The tiger said mildly, wading deeper into the lake until the water reached up to its chest.  
  
Brad froze, ears pricking forward, fur bristling. He could hear his heart thundering in his chest. Feel the blood rushing through his veins, laced with adrenaline.   
  
//_Then why am I here?_//  
  
Snorting, the tiger dove under the water, submerging as it swam out further, a pale shape beneath the water.  
  
//_You know the reason, Brad. I can't tell you._//  
  
Furious and filled with primal fear, Brad ran to the edge of the water, fangs bared in a silent snarl.  
  
//_Why? Why can't you tell me?_//  
  
Backing up a step as the tiger appeared before him as though a phantom, water and mud sluicing off it, Brad forced himself to meet the tiger's gaze.  
  
//_The human mind has many defenses to protect itself. It shuts down, blocks off sections of memory. Sometimes those sections of memory remain sealed off. Too much knowledge too early can harm it. Too little knowledge too late can harm it. And on, and on. _ You,_ Brad, are hiding from reality at this moment. The reason 'why' is something only you know._//   
  
Brad stood unmoving as he mulled over the tiger's words, not even flinching as the tiger shook itself, cold droplets of lake water striking him and seeping through to his skin. Not even blinking as the tiger moved beside him, green eyes staring down at him, willing him to remember. To understand.  
  
//_If...If this is the Dreamscape, then my body... My human body...?_//  
  
Taking pity on the confusion and fear it saw in Brad's eyes, the tiger rested its cheek against his, green eyes sliding closed.  
  
//_Was never here. It was another manifestation of your mind. A way to make you feel grounded in a place that makes its own reality. The moment you chose to follow me, it vanished. The moment you allowed yourself to _feel_ instead of think, your mind no longer felt the need to protect you in that manner._//  
  
//_But...but it felt so real! I could feel the ground beneath me. I could feel your body heat, the softness of your fur! I could - _ //  
  
//_And what do you feel now, Brad? What do you see? What do you smell? The Dreamscape is a reality in itself. Everything here can be as real as you want it to be. You can be anything you want to here. Anyone you want. The only thing holding you back is you. Those mountains we crossed, weren't they familiar? Those caves...that desert? Don't you remember them?_//  
  
Brad's eyes went wide in stunned realization.   
  
//_They were all places I'd been to before. Places I'd fought._//  
  
Opening its eyes, the tiger moved away, padding towards the trees.  
  
//_Are _you_ real?_// Brad asked, fighting to keep the fear from his mental voice.  
  
Pausing, the tiger flicked an ear backwards, although it did not turn to look at him.  
  
//_I am as real as you want me to be, Brad._//  
  
And then it was gone. Gliding silently into the forest without a sign to prove it had ever been there.

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**To be continued... **

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	3. Part 3 - Quality time down by the lake.....

Thanks to everyone who's commented on this fic so far, I appreciate it more than I can say. Anyhow, here's the third part, I'll try to have the fourth up sometime next week, but no promises on that one. I've got pre-final-finals all next week...the joys of higher education..._

Disclaimer: I don't own _ Zoids_ or any other _ Zoids_ characters, much to my sorrow. ^^;;  
  
Anyhow, feedback is greatly appreciated!  
  
//_Italics_// is mind speech...(>_)

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**Run With Me - Part 3**

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Brad spent that night alone on the shores of the lake. He spent the night watching the stars and trying to sort out everything he'd heard, everything he'd learned since waking up under that tree. He felt his mind begin to balance out, felt that familiar layer of carefully crafted casual indifference wrap around him once again like a comforting cloak.   
  
He forced his fear and frustration away from him to a place where he could study it in the hopes of understanding and overcoming it. He dove deep into himself, seeking the answers to the questions he hadn't known he'd asked. Answers to questions he hadn't found the words to ask. He sank back into that comfortable place where nothing could touch him if he didn't want it to.   
  
He watched the moons set and the sun rise. He knew the moment when the night birds left off and the morning songbirds took up, their sweet melody filling the air. He knew when the morning sun burned the dew away. He knew when the first breeze rippled across the lake, marring the smooth perfection.  
  
And he knew when the tiger reappeared beside him.  
  
//_Do you hear it?_//  
  
Cocking his head, Brad pricked his ears forward.  
  
//_Hear what?_//  
  
The tiger stretched out beside him, flexing its claws.  
  
//_They're calling for you, Brad. Can't you hear them?_//  
  
Straining to hear, Brad caught it...the faint sound of half-familiar voices calling his name. He could hear pain and misery in those voices. Sorrow, and a deep aching sense of loss. He could see their tears, both shed and unshed in his mind's eye.  
  
//_Who?_//  
  
Laying its head down on its paws, the tiger watched the lake as the wind played across the surface.  
  
//_The ones you would die to protect. They're calling you._//  
  
Closing his eyes, Brad swallowed against the knot of raw emotion that clogged his throat. It burned in a way that nothing else could. He had felt those people's pain as though it were his own. Seen the anguish in their eyes. And he knew it was for him. All for him.  
  
//_Why can't I remember?_//  
  
//_Because you don't _want_ to remember, Brad. Because it's safer living in a dream world than it is to face reality._//  
  
Snorting, Brad mirrored the tiger's pose, blue eyes sagging shut as though they were too heavy to keep open any longer.  
  
//_You sound like someone I know._//  
  
//_Really? Who?_//  
  
Slitting open one eye in annoyance, Brad growled softly in warning. The tiger seemed to delight in teasing him.  
  
//_You remind me of..._//  
  
Brad trailed off as he realized that he couldn't put a name to the fragment of memory that had come to him. It had been there at the forefront of his mind, but the moment he'd consciously reached for it, it had flitted just out of reach.   
  
//_I...can't remember._//  
  
Lifting its head, the tiger angled a look at him, green eyes sympathetic.  
  
//_You will, if you want to._//  
  
Baring his fangs, Brad got to his feet, heading towards the lake.  
  
//_Is that all you ever do? Offer me cryptic words of advice and speak in riddles?_//  
  
Brad's eyes narrowed as the tiger's mental laughter filled his mind, sweet and rich, like honeyed milk. It wrapped around his thoughts, slipping past his guard until it reached the very center of his being.  
  
//_I don't know...you called me to you._//  
  
That stopped him in his tracks.  
  
//_What?_//  
  
The tiger rolled onto its back, leaving its soft underbelly vulnerable to attack as well as the warm rays of the sun. Seeing it, Brad recognized it for what it was. Absolute trust. Something that was rare as any precious stone to someone like him who'd never known it.  
  
And he was wary of it. Fearing some hidden price tag that he wasn't ready or willing to pay, but would have to in the end.  
  
//_You called to me, Brad. Brought me from where I was to where you were. You might not have been aware of it at the time, but you called to me._//  
  
Brad stared at the tiger.  
  
//_Does that mean you're stuck here?_//  
  
One green eye pinned Brad where he stood.  
  
//_This is the Dreamscape, Brad. The only way to be 'stuck here' would be if I was to lose myself, and I have a very firm grip of who I am. You, on the other hand...that's a different matter entirely._//  
  
//_But last night you said - _ //  
  
//_That I'm only as real as you want me to be? That's still the truth, Brad._//  
  
Growling as the last of his patience was being worn away, Brad spun and plunged into the lake, wincing as the cold water it his skin. He stood in water that reached to the top of his shoulders, feeling the mud that still clung to his fur soften and fall away.  
  
//_Talking to you makes my head hurt._//  
  
The tiger laughed again, wriggling a little to get at the itch on its back that it just couldn't reach.  
  
//_You should know by now that nothing is ever what it seems. You've begun to take far too many things for granted lately, Brad. Assuming things that you shouldn't_.//  
  
Ducking his head underwater, Brad came back up spluttering and snorting water from his nostrils. Shaking his head to get the water out of his ears, he began wading back to shore, blue eyes locking with the tiger's own green.  
  
//_And what, pray tell, might those things be?_//  
  
The tiger rolled back onto its stomach, head resting on its paws once more, tail twitching. Blue eyes narrowed at the sight, Brad shook the water from his fur, a wicked gleam in his eye as the tiger bared its fangs at him in annoyance as crystalline droplets struck the tiger's fur.   
  
//_I can't tell you, Brad. You need to figure that out for yourself._//  
  
Brad's snarl faded out before it had even begun, as he flopped bonelessly down beside the tiger, stretching his neck out a little to as the sun beat down on them.  
  
//_You really do remind me of him. All secrets, mysteries, and glib replies._//  
  
The tiger purred, green eyes slitting.  
  
//_He sounds like an interesting person._//  
  
Flicking an ear, Brad leaned against he tiger's warm mass as a cool breeze ruffled his wet fur, sending a chill through him.  
  
//_He is. And annoying, rude, stubborn, idiotic, dense...there aren't enough words to describe him, really._//  
  
//_How...sweet._//  
  
Regarding the tiger out of the corner of his eye, Bad couldn't help but feel a twinge of amusement at the look in the tiger's eyes. It looked almost...affronted?  
  
//_You'd have to meet him to understand._//  
  
//_Ah._//  
  
Brad smiled to himself at the tiger's mental tone of voice. Dubious and still more than a little insulted. He didn't even notice when the sun's warmth began to lull them both to sleep.

*********

Brad woke with a start, eyes wide, ears swiveling to catch that faint sound that had jolted him from his sleep. Beside him the tiger slumbered on, oblivious to the distressed cries Brad had heard. Getting to his feet, Brad glanced around to see that the sun had started to set, the wind dying down until the lake was once again glass-smooth.  
  
Moving a few feet away for the water's edge to hear better, Brad's ears flattened against his skull as he heard it again. Those same familiar voices calling him, cursing him. Pleading with him. In his mind's eye, he could see the shadowy forms of their faces, catch fleeting glimpses of their eyes.   
  
There was one thing Brad had learned early on in life, and that was always watch your opponent's eyes. It wouldn't matter how accomplished at lying they were, the eyes would always give them away in some way. Either by blinking too much, or too little. By darting about frantically. A shift to the right, to the left. It was the small things like that that he'd learned to look for.  
  
And he could read the intent in another person's eyes like he could read the text in a book. It was all a matter of interpretation.   
  
_That_ was where the true skill lay. Anyone could see what he did in an opponent's eyes, but they wouldn't know what the signs were if they weren't looking for them. Wouldn't know the warning markers without understanding what they meant. It was a skill that he had refined to an art, until it was second nature to him. And it had kept him alive.  
  
So it was only natural that Brad had learned to recognize people on their eyes alone. Eyes, like fingerprints and snowflakes were unique.  
  
He felt a flare of panic as he realized that a familiar face, familiar eyes, were missing from the shadowy image he saw in his mind's eye. The only eyes that had ever held any power of him were gone. Nowhere to be seen.  
  
//_Brad._//  
  
Turning, Brad found the tiger watching him intently.  
  
//_Are you ready to remember yet? Ready to go home?_//  
  
Brad backed away from the tiger as it advanced on him, slowly, step by step. Its green, green eyes never leaving his.  
  
//_You can't stay here forever, Brad. No human is meant to. This is not the way humans were meant to live._//   
  
//_I'm afraid._//  
  
The tiger stopped, staring at Brad, some indefinable emotion flickering in the back of its eyes.  
  
//_Why are you afraid?_//  
  
Ducking his head, Brad clenched his eyes shut.  
  
//_Because of what I _can_ remember. I remember pain, and suffering, and more pain. I don't want to go back to that!_//   
  
//_Is that really all you remember, Brad? Don't you remember anything but the pain?_//  
  
Flinching as he felt a the tiger's mental sigh wash over him, Brad brought his head up to meet the tiger's gaze evenly.  
  
//_Why are you here?_ _You don't belong here, anymore than I do. I can feel it._//  
  
The tiger's green eyes narrowed, ears going back.  
  
//_I'm here because you called me to you, Brad._//  
  
//_No! That's not the only reason, I can see it in your eyes. Why are you here?_//  
  
Turning to gaze out over the lake, the tiger remained silent for a long time, the only sound that of the waves lapping at the rocky shore and the musical twittering of songbirds.  
  
//_Because I want to be here, Brad. Because you called to me...and I came. Because you needed me._//  
  
Bristling at the implication that he needed anyone, Brad pawed at smooth pebbles beneath his feet, lining the lakeshore, a low growl escaping his throat.  
  
//_Who are you?_//  
  
Looking over at him, the tiger seemed to smile.  
  
//_Name me, and I'm yours. Body, mind, and soul._//  
  
As before, the words sent a shiver through him. Made him feel something he could barely understand, but desperately wanted to. Snarling, Brad looked away first, unable to meet the tiger's eyes.   
  
//_I don't understand you._// He admitted, feeling strangely hollow and empty inside. Feeling as though he was missing some integral part of himself. Feeling as though...as though he were broken, with no hope of being fixed.  
  
He heard the soft scrape and slide of rocks shifting as the tiger moved to his side, glimpsed movement from the corner of his eye, but made to move.  
  
//_Run with me, Brad. Run with me._//  
  
It took a moment for those words to sink into his mind, into his body. A moment for them to work their magic. A moment, and then they ran. 

**************************

**To be continued... **

**************************


	4. Part 4 - Rain, rain, go away...

Hey, look! Part 4 earlier than I expected...heh. I never thought this fic would get as much attention as it has been, which makes me feel that I'm doing something right with it. ^^;;  
  
This one's a little different, but I'm starting to get into the 'what-the-heck-happened?' part of the fic...  
  
Anyhow, I know I sound like a broken record, but thank you so much to everyone who'd read and commented on this fic. I appreciate each and every one of you who's done so, and thank you for all of your kind comments. 

Disclaimer: I don't own _ Zoids_ or any other _ Zoids_ characters, much to my sorrow. ^^;;  
  
Anyhow, feedback is greatly appreciated!  
  
//_Italics_// is mind speech...(>_)  
  
  
  
*********************************

**Run With Me - Part 4**

*********************************

"Hey, Brad!"  
  
Glancing over his shoulder, Brad hid a smile at the sight that met his eyes.  
  
"Leena got to you again, didn't she?"  
  
Glaring, Bit dumped the armload of zoid parts he'd been carrying where he stood and strode over towards the older man until they were less than a handbreadth away from each other.   
  
"Nice attitude, Brad. I'd like to see how far you'd get when she has that crazed look in her eyes and an order form in front of her." Bit retorted, punctuating his sentences by poking Brad in the center of his chest with his index finger.  
  
Batting Bit's hand away, Brad turned back what he'd been doing before Bit's little interruption.   
  
"I wouldn't know about that, Bit. I usually try to be out of her line of sight when that happens."  
  
"Yeah well, that never works for me. Give me a hand with this stuff? It's heavy."  
  
His curiosity piqued as he heard Bit struggling with the parts and boxes he'd been carrying earlier, Brad turned back to see just what he was carrying. He lifted an eyebrow as he recognized the shop names on some of the boxes, places well known for quality zoid parts and weapon upgrades.  
  
"Is all of that just for her Gun Sniper?"  
  
Busy trying to balance the packages in his arms, Bit didn't answer right away, eyeing a smaller box that didn't seem too inclined to stay where he'd placed it. As Brad watched, the box in question started to slide sideways, the panicked look in Bit's eyes warning him that it was a vital component.   
  
He was moving even before he'd realized it, hand reaching out to snag the box before it could hit the floor.   
  
"You can open your eyes now, Bit. I caught it."  
  
Slitting open one eye, Bit blinked as he saw Brad standing in front of him, precious package held in his hands, smiling that irritatingly cocky smile of his, blue eyes narrowed in amusement.   
  
"Hey, thanks, Brad. Can you get the rest?"  
  
Seeing the mischievous glint in Bit's eyes, and that odd little smile on his lips, Brad realized he'd been had. Bit had to know just how powerful that little smile of his was, even Leena had been known to fall prey to it once or twice in the past.  
  
"I'm almost afraid to ask what you were like _before_ you showed up here, Bit. You probably would have had the world at your feet before long." Brad muttered, scooping up the last of the packages sitting on the walkway behind Bit.  
  
"Who knows? Maybe I could have. You should be grateful I've decided to become a zoid warrior instead."   
  
Snorting, Brad fell silent as they approached the Gun Sniper's appointed berth.  
  
"Now what? She's not here."  
  
Shrugging, a not inconsiderable feat considering the mountain of boxes he was carrying, Bit set the packages he was carrying down.  
  
"Just leave it here, I guess. Leena's probably trying to convince Jamie that all of this stuff is an asset to the team so she won't have to pay for it. She'll know what to do with all of this since she ordered all of this stuff."  
  
Giving Bit a dubious look, Brad set his armload of zoid parts down next to Bit's stack and backed away as it wobbled slightly.   
  
"Yeah, but you're forgetting just how much she takes after Doc."  
  
"Buy first, think later?"  
  
"Something like that, yeah." Brad muttered, running a hand through his hair.  
  
Grinning, Bit turned to say something, when his expression softened. Brad fought the urge to take a step backwards as Bit approached him, some indefinable emotion in his eyes.  
  
"Bit?"  
  
"Hold still, Brad." Bit said, reaching up to brush his thumb across Brad's cheekbone. "You've got something on your face."  
  
For no reason that he could explain or understand, Brad held still, blue eyes going wide as he felt the infinitely gentle touch of Bit's thumb on his cheek. With Bit this close he could see his eyes more clearly than he'd ever been able to, and what he saw in them startled him.  
  
"Bit..."  
  
Brad didn't know what to do. He knew what he wanted to do, but nothing good had ever come of what he had wanted.  
  
Perhaps Bit saw that in his eyes, because he drew his hand back and held out his thumb to reveal a smudge of grease on it.  
  
"Come on, I'll help you with the Fox, if you want. Those repairs will take days with just one person working on them." Bit said, flashing him a sweet smile, the look in his eyes belying his expression. 

*********

Leaping to his feet as another crack of thunder split the air, Brad felt his hackles rise, fangs bared as a feral snarl escaped his throat. He felt a moment of disorientation as memories fled from his mind. Memories of warmth and safety. Memories of belonging.   
  
Looking up, Brad's eyes widened at the fat storm clouds that hovered there, flashes of lightning visible through the gloom.   
  
Another peal of thunder forced him back, smooth pebbles giving way beneath his feet. Eyes flitting to the side, Brad felt panic rise within him as the wind began to blow, shaking the trees of the forest and rippling across the lake with ever increasing violence. The birds hand long since taken shelter for the coming storm.  
  
//_Hurry!_//  
  
Whirling, Brad saw the tiger standing at the edge of the forest, tail twitching nervously as the wind ruffled its fur.  
  
//_Hurry, Brad! Before the storm breaks!_//  
  
He didn't need any other urging. His legs carried him across the loose stones of the lakeshore, to the pine needle carpeted forest in a flash, the tiger matching his pace beside him.  
  
//_Where are we going?_ //  
  
//_Follow me_.//  
  
Feeling a measure of relief at the fact that the tiger seemed to know where they were going, Brad fell back a pace, allowing the tiger to lead the way. The forest flashed by around them as the storm built up, a heavy, oppressive presence that seemed to press down upon them.  
  
Skidding a little as the tiger twisted around a cluster of boulders, Brad followed it, ears pressed against his head. He didn't know why, but he could feel the tiger's near-desperation to get them to shelter before the rain fell like a tangible thing. It felt like something was pressing down on his chest, like being caught in a vise.   
  
//_Where are we going?_//  
  
Sparing a glance back at him, the tiger didn't slow as the path they ran on twisted and turned. They wove through grove of dead trees, under and around boulders and exposed tree roots. Through thickets of dense underbrush and wide clearings.  
  
//_The caves. It's the only place we'll be safe._//  
  
Snarling as the rocky path cut into the soft flesh of his feet, Brad forced himself to go faster, the tiger's desperation spurring him on.

*********

Watching the rain as it poured down in sheets from the safety of the cave entrance, Brad felt a shiver go through him. He could feel a gentle nudging at the back of his mind, like the feeling he got when he knew he'd forgotten something. It was annoying and familiar all at the same time, and he hated it. Hated feeling that he was missing something.  
  
They'd reached the caves minutes after the rain began to fall. Fast and heavy, plastering their fur to their bodies and filling the cave with the stench of wet animal. Wrinkling his nose at the smell, Brad edged closer to the cave opening where the air was circulating freely.   
  
He could feel the tiger watching him. Could feel the weight of those eyes on him as he watched the rain.   
  
//_Why is it raining? It didn't do that before._//  
  
Admitting that he had a bad feeling about it wasn't something Brad would have done voluntarily. The fact that the weather had been perfect - not so much as a cloud in the sky - the whole time he'd been there so far did not bode well for the current circumstances.  
  
Turning at the soft scrape of claws against rough stone, Brad moved aside as the tiger sat beside him, head turned to watch the rain.  
  
//_Brad, what were you doing before I found you?_//  
  
Blue eyes narrowing, Brad cocked his head to the side thoughtfully.  
  
//_I'm not sure...I think I fell asleep after we came back from the run, and then...I don't know what happened then. I think I was dreaming..._//  
  
//_Dreaming? What happened in your dream?_//  
  
Startled at the tiger's sudden interest, Brad backed up a step, lips lifting from his fangs.  
  
//_Why?_//  
  
Sighing, the tiger growled softly as it flexed its claws.  
  
//_Because if I know the answer to my question I may also know the answer to yours._//  
  
Growling at the tiger's cryptic reply, Brad shook himself, sending water droplets spraying everywhere.  
  
//_I don't really remember much...it was like I was outside my body watching everything happen. I could see myself - my real body - working on the Fox. I think there was someone else there, but..._//  
  
//_Who was it?_// The tiger prodded gently, watching him closely.  
  
//_I don't know. I can't remember_. _I_ know _him, but I can't remember who he is._//  
  
Looking up sharply as he felt the tiger's sigh in his mind, Brad was surprised at the look in the tiger's eyes. They looked as though the tiger held the weight of the world on its shoulders, and it was tired of such a responsibility. So very, very tired.   
  
//_What? What's wrong?_//  
  
//_Brad, where are you?_//  
  
Sensing the meaning behind the tiger's question, Brad bristled as he felt a wave of dread go through him.   
  
//_The Dreamscape._//  
  
//_Exactly. When you sleep here, you don't Dream, Brad._//  
  
Flinching as those green, green eyes fixed on his, Brad forced himself to ask the next question. The one that was at the tip of his tongue. The one he dreaded most to hear at that moment.  
  
//_What do you mean? You said people come here to Dream - _ //  
  
//_Or hide. That's true, but who would Dream of Dreaming, Brad? Everything you do here when you're awake is part of the Dream you Dream. When you sleep here, you no longer Dream._//  
  
Snarling, Brad began to pace the confines to the cave, fangs bared.  
  
//_You're not making any sense._//  
  
Snorting, the tiger pushed past him, the tip of its tail brushing his chest.  
  
//_Brad, when you sleep here in the Dreamscape, you don't Dream. You remember._//

**************************

**To be continued... **

**************************


	5. too tired to think of a clever title

Hee...well it's been a while since I've written Zoids fic-stuff, eh? Lots of stuff happening in real life, but anyway, here's part five of "Run With Me." Still odd as ever. ^_^

Disclaimer: I don't own _ Zoids_ or any other _ Zoids _ characters, much to my sorrow. ^^;;

Anyhow, feedback is greatly appreciated!

//_Italics_// is mind speech...(>_)

*****************************

**Run With Me - Part 5**

*****************************

There was nothing left to do but watch the rain. The tiger had disappeared into the depths of the cave, warning Brad with a single look not to follow. While ordinarily he would have balked at such a thing, for some reason Brad obeyed this one time.  
  
Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that he was in alien territory with only the tiger as his guide. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that he had no wish to wander the stifling blackness at the back of the cave that the tiger moved through with such ease. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that Brad simply had nowhere he wanted to go at the moment.  
  
The rain, something he had had seen countless times before in the waking world, seemed threatening now. Not only because of what the tiger had told him it meant, but also because of some inner fear that Brad could find no name for. Some instinct that warned him away from the bitter cold of the rain...and the memories it might bring with it.  
  
So he sat just inside the cave entrance and watched as the rain fell. Occasionally a flash of lightning lit the sky, followed by the deep crack of thunder fit to split the sky in two. It felt like hours had passed since they had reached the caves, and still the rain fell.  
  
//_Beautiful, isn't it?_//  
  
Starting, Brad twisted around to see the tiger watching him. How a creature as large as it was managed to move in complete silence Brad was at a loss to explain. But somehow it could, and it did.  
  
//_What are you talking about now?_// Brad growled, getting to his feet as the tiger stepped out of the shadows.   
  
The tiger cocked its head to the side, green eyes sliding shut.  
  
//_Listen, Brad. What do you hear?_//  
  
//_I don't have the time or the patience to deal with you and your - _ //  
  
The tiger snorted, amusement swirling through Brad's mind.  
  
//_Time? Brad, time is the one thing you have plenty of here. Time holds no meaning in the Dreamscape, save for what you give it./_/  
  
Shaking his head, Brad backed away from the tiger. There was something different about it now that made him wary of it. Where before the tiger had been a source of warmth and comfort, now it was the source of his frustration and fear. And yet he couldn't find it within himself to be surprised at the way things had turned out. He had never been able to place his trust in anyone before without having it broken in some way.   
  
//_What do you mean? We barely had enough time to get here before the storm broke. How can time have no meaning if we had to race the storm?_//  
  
Opening its eyes, the tiger took another step forward, forcing Brad to give ground before it.  
  
//_You still cling to the laws that govern the waking world, Brad. To you there is only now and ten minutes from now. The past has no meaning to you because you are afraid to face it. If you wanted, time could stop here. The surface of the lake you are so enamored of would freeze so that you could walk across it, if you chose. The rain would stop, droplets hanging in midair. Don't you understand yet, Brad? Here you are in control. Here you are the nameless god that controls the world._//  
  
Fear clogging his throat, Brad backed away from the tiger although it had made no move towards him.  
  
//_That's impossible. No one could do something like that._//  
  
The tiger's eyes narrowed as though in frustration at Brad's inability to comprehend what it had told him. Ears flattening against its skull, the tiger bared its fangs in a silent growl.  
  
//_Are you really so blind, Brad? Do you really want to hold on to the things you believe are true so badly that you aren't willing to let go in order to risk the impossible? Are you so willing to trust in the fact that something you can't see, or touch, or feel could be real? That Brad...that is perhaps the worst thing that could happen to any living being. That inability to simply _believe.//  
  
Tossing his head, Brad snarled as the tiger's words - so full of sympathy and pity - registered. More than being scorned as a mere mercenary, he hated being pitied for who and what he was. And now the tiger dared pity him because he did not have the qualities it thought he should? Because he had not measured up to the tiger's expectations?  
  
//_What do you know about it? You who spouts riddles and inane little bits of advice? What do you believe in that has no form, no shape, no feel? What do you believe that you can pity me the way you do? What is it that makes you able to look down on me? What gives you that right? What gives you the right to mock me with your eyes and your words?_//  
  
The tiger stared back at him, green eyes unblinking as he screamed at it, his mind voice ragged and broken. When finally he stopped chest heaving for breath, eyes wide, the tiger stepped forward to nuzzle his face gently.  
  
//_You would know if you remembered, Brad. You would know._//

*********

When at last the rains did stop, Brad was loath to leave the cave. The world outside was different somehow, just as the tiger was. Just as he was.  
  
Silence laced with accusation and resentment had filled the cave after Brad's outburst and the tiger's soft words. Even now Brad could feel the weight of sorrow in the tiger's mind voice - as well as its regret.   
  
//_The world outside is different because you are beginning to remember ever so slightly, Brad. As you regain more of your memories the Dreamscape will alter itself to suit your new perception of what it should be. And as that happens, you will begin to wake up._//  
  
Turning to look at the tiger, Brad was surprised that its mind voice should sound so tired. So drained and devoid of the fire he had come to associate with it. Looking into its eyes, he saw that they lacked their usual shine.  
  
//_What's happening to you?_//  
  
The tiger managed to dredge up a small smile in an attempt to set Brad's frayed nerves at ease. Somehow the fragile expression only served to frighten him even more. He could deal with the tiger turning on him and becoming someone he had to watch, but to lose it completely...  
  
//_What's wrong? What's wrong with you?_//  
  
Stepping past him, the tiger walked out of the cave and into the fading gloom beyond, ignoring the desperation and fear in Brad's mind voice. Giving itself a good shake, the tiger glanced back over its shoulder at Brad, something in its eyes luring him to it.  
  
//_Run with me, Brad. Run with me._//   
  
Blinking, Brad took a step forward before he knew what he'd done. All he knew at that moment was the siren song of the tiger's words summoning him. Inviting him to shed his troubles and simply feel again.   
  
When he did realize what he was doing, Brad planted his feet and refused to budge. He would not fall prey to the sweet poison the tiger fed him with its words and pretty turn of phrase. Would not lose himself in sensation devoid of thought. Not until he understood the ways of the Dreamscape. Not until he understood what was expected of him so that he would not be sent back to the waking world where only pain and misery awaited him.  
  
//_No. For once give me a straight answer. No more of your riddles. No more of your mysteries. Just answer me._//  
  
The tiger stared at him, tail twitching to some inner rhythm of heart and blood and life.  
  
//_Run with me, Brad. Run with me._//  
  
Again he resisted the tiger's call. It cost him more than he knew, to force himself to remain grounded in lucid thought and the skewed reality of the Dreamscape. It cost him to fight the side of him that craved to be released. The side of him that begged to be let loose. The side of him that cried to be free.  
  
//_You say that I am afraid of what I don't remember, and yet you fail to answer a simple question. Is it because you can't, or is it because you won't? Which is it?_//  
  
To his surprise, the tiger laughed at him, warmth and affection slipping past his guard and into his mind with effortless ease. It frightened him at the same time it left him to wonder if what he felt was real. If the affection was genuine and not some dreamed up scrap of desperate hope and desire his mind had created.  
  
//_Oh but it is real, Brad. As real as I am._ // The tiger said as it walked towards him splashing through puddles left by the storm. //_As to what's happening to me...I told you humans were not meant to live here forever. Bend time; even stop it completely - that they _can_ do. But the one thing they cannot do is touch the waking world as they would here. The waking world lives on while time here flows in an endless loop controlled by the Dreamer. Controlled by _you_, Brad. I have already been here too long as it is. And so have you. No one can stay here forever, Brad. Not even me. _ //

*******************************

**To Be Continued...**

*******************************


End file.
